A Handy Guide to Gardening
Shrub Maintenance – Where do you start??
- Always start by applying the three D’s of pruning. Cut out DEAD, DAMAGED and DISEASED wood.
- Pruning cuts are essentially wounds to the plant where disease could enter so use sharp, clean tools and make clean cuts without leaving snags. Cut close to buds, but not into them, and always above.
Pruning young shrubs
- Early pruning helps establish a shapely shrub with vigorous, balanced growth.
- Most evergreen shrubs do not need thinning or formative pruning (apart from Buxus) However all shrubs benefit from shortening any excessively long shoots and cutting out weak or damaged growth.
- Deciduous shrubs are more likely to need pruning into shape; this is known as formative pruning. Young shrubs often grow lots of shoots so you will have to thin them early on.
- Correct lopsided growth by lightly pruning longer shoots and hard pruning weak stems.
- Prune flowering shrubs straight after flowering to ensure flowers come back the following year.
The perfect lawn…
One of the main features of Loftus Gardens will be the Park, however the front gardens are integral to the overall look of the estate. Keep your lawn healthy and looking good by regular cutting, watering, fertilizing and aerating. We’ve come up with some tips on how to look after your lawn.
- Tip 1: Adjust your cutting height to the time of year (and use a sharp blade)
- Tip 2: A few good soakings are better than lots of light sprinklings (but not in the evening)
- Tip 3: Mow only the top one-third of the grass blade (and don’t rake up the clippings)
- Tip 4: Timing is everything when it comes to fertilizers and weed killers
- Tip 5: Aerate your lawn to help it “breathe”
- Mowing
Mow grass whenever it is growing, provided the ground isn’t too wet or icy to walk on. In spring, mow once a week with the blades at their highest setting, and gradually lower them as growth accelerates. Use a box to collect the clippings, which can be composted, or use a “mulching mower” which doesn’t remove the grass but chops it into fine pieces, returning nutrients to the lawn. Rake off thick patches of clippings, which will damage the turf. In summer, a high-quality lawn may need cutting three times a week, but in autumn, as growth slows, once or twice a week should suffice. For those who are not such perfectionists once a week will still keep a nice lawn. - Watering
In dry periods, water newly laid turf, freshly sown areas, and high-quality lawns. Leave established lawns un-watered, but stop mowing because longer grass helps protect the roots. The grass may turn brown, but will recover once it rains.Water a new lawn every week in dry spells, until it is established. You can tell when fine lawns need watering because they lose their spring when walked on. Reduce water evaporation by using sprinklers early in the morning or at night. Move seep hoses by 8 inches every half hour.
- Feeding
The amount of fertilizer you need to maintain lush green grass depends on how rich the underlying soil is, and if you occasionally leave the clippings on the lawn, which help top up the soil nutrients. Apply granular or liquid lawn fertilizer at least once a year. Spring and early summer feeds are high in nitrogen to boost leaf growth; products for use in early autumn are low in nitrogen but high in potassium to aid grass roots in winter. Do not overfeed because it can result in weak growth and fungal problems.
Divide the lawn into a grid of yard squares using stakes. Apply fertilizer at the rate according to the package. Rent a calibrated spreader for large lawns, and water if it doesn’t rain within three days after feeding. - Weeding
Acidic lawns are prone to moss and weed growth. Check soil pH in winter, and raise it by applying ground chalk or limestone at a rate of 2 ounces per 10 square foot. Apply a lawn weed-killer in spring or summer, and repeat in early autumn. Organic gardeners can grub out creeping buttercups, daisies, and tap-rooted weeds, like dandelions, using an old knife.